Xerochrysum bicolor (Lindl.) R.J.Bayer, Kew

Collins, Timothy L., Schmidt-Lebuhn, Alexander N., Andrew, Rose L., Telford, Ian R. H. & Bruhl, Jeremy J., 2022, There’s gold in them thar hills! Morphology and molecules delimit species in Xerochrysum (Asteraceae; Gnaphalieae) and reveal many new taxa, Australian Systematic Botany 35 (2), pp. 120-185 : 147-149

Xerochrysum bicolor (Lindl.) R.J.Bayer, Kew Bulletin

56: 1014 (2001)

Helichrysum bicolor Lindl., Bot. Reg. 21: t. 1814 (1835); Gnaphalium bicolor (Lindl.) Sch.Bip. Bot. Zeit. 3: 171 (1845); Helichrysum bracteatum var. bicolor (Lindl.) L.H.Bailey, Cycl. Amer. Hort. 2: 723 (1900); Bracteantha bicolor (Lindl.) Anderb. & Haegi, Op. Bot. 104: 105 (1991).

Type citation: ‘introduced by Mr. Low of the Clapton Nursery… It is a native of Van Diemen’s Land, whence our excellent correspondent Mr. Gunn has sent beautiful specimens (No. 111).’ Type: in insula van Dieman (Herb. Gunniani No. 111), s. dat., R.C. Gunn 111, (lecto: CGE; isolecto: MEL 61303!; possible isolecto: NSW 122366, fide P. G. Wilson, Nuytsia 28: 14 (2017)).

Xerochrysum halmaturorum Paul G.Wilson, Nuytsia 28: 15 (2017). Type: Cape St Albans, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 24 Nov. 1994, B.M. Overton 2513 (holo: AD 99610190!; iso: MEL 2048046!) .

Erect, perennial, taprooted herb. Stems and branches with glands, and scabrid or hispid (prominent raised ridges along stems), internode length 10–35 mm. Basal leaf rosette absent at flowering. Basal leaves obovate or spathulate, 50–150 mm long and 10–30 mm wide, base auriculate or attenuate and amplexicaul, margin hirsute, pilose or hispid with septate trichomes, apex obtuse to apiculate and mucronate; abaxial indumentum with glands, midvein indumentum hirsute to hispid with septate trichomes and with glands; adaxial indumentum scabrid or hispid with septate trichomes, and with glands. Cauline leaves obovate, 40–120 mm long and 10–35 mm wide, base auriculate and amplexicaul, margin hispid or scabrid with dense, shorter septate trichomes as well as scattered septate trichomes, 2–4 times longer, and with stipitate glands; apex acuminate to apiculate and mucronate; abaxial indumentum with glands, midvein indumentum hispid and scabrid with septate trichomes; adaxial indumentum hispid or scabrid with septate trichomes, and with glands. Foliaceous bracts subtending capitula 5–15 mm long, margin hispid with stipitate glands. Capitula 30–60 mm wide, terminal, in panicles. Outer phyllaries broad-ovate, brown or straw-coloured, basal margin fimbriate or hispid, abaxial surface smooth, apex acuminate. Medial phyllaries narrow ovate to lanceolate, abaxially brown, white or yellow, apex acuminate to cuspidate. Stylar appendages deltoid to ovate. Cypsela oblong, ~ 2.5 mm long and 0.75 mm wide, cross-section squarish; pericarp brown, idioblasts present. Pappus deciduous ~ 4–8 mm long.

Distribution

Occurs sporadically over a broad area in southern South Australia in the Flinders Lofty Block and Kanmantoo bioregions, in south-western Victoria in the Victorian Midlands Bioregion, and coastal Tasmania in the King, Tasmanian West, and Tasmanian South East bioregions ( Fig. 20 ).

Phenology

Flowers recorded from November–January, and mature cypselae in February.

Habitat

Coastal heath, low shrubland grassland mosaic and Allocasuarina – Eucalyptus woodland, on sandy or skeletal gravelly loam soils, among low rock outcrops or on cliffs.

Conservation status

Occurs over a large area, including public and private conservation reserves. Populations on Kangaroo Island and in the Tothill Ranges estimated in the hundreds and thousands of plants respectively. Listed as ‘rare’ under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. Not listed under the Commonwealth of Australia Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Monitoring and assessment of response and recovery after the 2019–2020 bushfires would inform conservation status ( Keelty et al. 2020). With the inclusion of populations in South Australia and Victoria, we recommend a status of ‘ Least Concern ’ ( IUCN 2019).

Notes

The majority of collections are from populations with yellow phyllaries; however, a population with white phyllaries from the western coast of Tasmania near Temma was found during fieldwork and in the analyses.

‘ Eastcoast paperdaisy’ is used in Tasmania for X. bicolor (State of Tasmania, ‘ Natural Values Atlas’ , see www. naturalvaluesatlas.tas.gov.au, accessed 22 March 2020).

Selected specimens examined

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Goyder: Tothill Range, Mollers Gap Road , 26 Nov. 2017, T.L. Collins 988 & A.N. Schmidt-Lebuhn ( AD!, CANB!, NE!). Adelaide Hills : South Australia, 10 Nov. 1879, R. Tate s.n. ( AD!). Victor Harbor : South Australia, 1 Dec. 1909, E.H. Ising s.n. ( AD!) ; Hindmarsh Falls , 23 Nov. 2017, T.L. Collins 982 & A.N. Schmidt-Lebuhn ( AD!, CANB!, NE!); Newland Head Conservation Park , 23 Nov. 2017, T.L. Collins 981 & A.N. Schmidt-Lebuhn ( AD!, CANB!, NE!). Yankalilla : South Australia, Jan. 1926, J.B. Cleland s.n. ( AD!) . Kangaroo Island: Cape St Albans , 20 Nov. 2017, T.L. Collins 973 & A.N. Schmidt-Lebuhn ( AD!, CANB!, NE!) . VICTORIA: Southern Grampians: Victorian Midlands , 29 Dec. 1988, R.M. King 9703 & F.E. Heinz ( MEL!) . Horsham: Victorian Midlands , 8 Nov. 1987, S.T.W. Parfett 134 ( MEL!) . TASMANIA: Little Badger Island , s. dat., J.S. Whinray 8605 ( CANB, HO, MEL!) ; Alum Cliffs, S of Taroona , Hobart , 28 Feb. 2018, T.L. Collins 1016 & R.L. Andrew ( NE!, HO!, CANB!); Arthur Pieman Conservation Reserve , 4 Mar. 2018, T.L. Collins 1033 & R.L. Andrew ( NE!, HO!, CANB!); S of Temma on coastal track , 4 Mar. 2018, T.L. Collins 1034 & R.L. Andrew ( NE!, HO!, CANB!) .

Figures

Fig. 20. Distribution of Xerochrysum bicolor.